So its been about a month since I have been here in Ohio and things are going pretty well. I have been asked to sub for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra in October and I am very excited. I also have a couple wedding gigs lined up for the next month. However, I am still on the hunt for students. Most schools are happy with the people they have or don’t have any students that want lessons. I keep making small strides, hope this next week will bring some students.

I have joined a really nice local gym out here called Urban Active, I like to refer to it as Globo Gym (like in Dodgeball the movie). Its huge, it has a TV on every cardio machine, a movie theatre workout area, and all sorts of other fancy stuff. Since I joined I have really been getting back into shape. I had a free personal training session, and it really taught me a new way to approach the work out. Now I do about 10 minutes of simple cardio, and the rest of the time I do some light free-weights/machines.

Lessons have been going really well with my teacher Dan Zehringer. I have really been focused on crisp articulation, and excitement in my excerpts. I have been juggling so many different trumpets this last month. For the Lexington and West Virginia auditions I need Bb, C, Piccolo, & Eb. Plus I am playing in a British Brass Band, so I need to play cornet also. It has been a bit of a challenge to try to get some practice in on each of them every day.

My 23rd birthday also passed this month. I got a practice mute which has increased my practice time dramatically. Now I am able to practice during the day and at night without bothering anyone. I also got a 7E mouthpiece which has completely changed my approach to the Magnificat. I don’t know why anyone didn’t yell at me before when I was playing a 3E.

Thats my life in a nutshell for the last month. Getting fit, getting better at trumpet, preparing for auditions, and trying to get some students.